Nine-Year Follow-Up of Danish Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) Patients Impact on Health, Social, Vocational, and Personal Lives – Source: Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, vol. 14, #2, 2007

Objective: To determine quality of life (QOL) and health in Danish CFS patients 9 years after diagnosis.

Methods: Thirty-four adults with CFS responded to questions regarding QOL at diagnosis, and again 5 and 9 years later. At 9-year follow-up patients also responded to questions regarding health, fatigue, use of Health Care system, alcohol and exercise.

Results:

• Two patients (6%) had recovered and 3 patients (10%) had received secondary diagnoses.


• Overall, there was no improvement, except with depression/anxiety.


• The order of severity among disabilities remained the same.


• Work had the highest disability score, followed by post-exertional malaise.


• Patients slept and rested 13.6 hours a day (mean).


• Self-reported physical health correlated with hours sleeping and resting.


• Rheumatic symptoms dominated the health symptoms.


• Alcohol consumption was low, and the use of the Health Care system was modest.

Conclusion: After 9 years QOL was the same as at diagnosis, only mental health had improved.

Source: Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2007, pp. 7-23. DOI: 10.1300/J092v14n02_02 by Andersen MM, Permin H, Albrecht F.